A Decade Later
by IcyKali
Summary: Set ten years after the adventures of the Powerpuff Girls. Bubbles and Buttercup are now the main protectors of Townsville, as Blossom entered college early. They've settled into a routine, but what will happen when their old nemeses, who they thought had vanished, start reappearing? And why did the villains disappear in the first place?
1. Prologue

_A decade ago..._

The Powerpuff Girls tiredly floated through the cool evening air, until they finally reached their doorstep. They slowly descended and paused to catch their breaths.

All three were battle-worn; Buttercup had bruises all over, and was covered dirt and grime, Bubbles's outfit and hair were a mess, and Blossom was sporting a black eye.

"Oh man, it was hard to split them up that time! They're getting tougher every time." Bubbles yawned.

"Yeah, but it was totally worth it! Didn't ya see what I did to Butch?" said Buttercup.

Bubbles giggled. "Uh huh!" She turned to Blossom. "It's a good thing Brick's as crazy about his hat as you are with your bow! Right?" Blossom didn't respond. She was squinting at the inside of Brick's cap. She turned to her sisters. "Huh? Oh, uh, right! Sorry girls, I'm really tired."

"C'mon, let's go to bed. I'll race you!" Buttercup sped up stairs with Bubbles racing after her. Blossom followed them, but not before ducking into the Professor's lab.

* * *

Professor Utonium was absolutely giddy. He rushed around his laboratory, rearranging test-tubes full of multicolored substances, trying to prepare for Blossom's genetics lab.

"Professor, I've been doing a lot of reading of your own research on Chemical X, and I want to see the effects it has on DNA!" Blossom smiled.

The Professor hugged her. "You know I wouldn't push you to become like me if you wanted to go a different way, right, Blossom?"

Blossom smiled. "I know, Professor. I know this is what I need to be doing. It's useful for so many reasons. It will help our crime-fighting."

"I'm so proud of you." The Professor ruffled her hair, and went to the vault, and took out the beaker of Chemical X.

* * *

"B-Bubbles! I'm so sorry!" Blossom rushed to the aid of her injured sister who lay in a small, smoking crater.

Bubbles was obviously in pain, but she smiled when she saw Blossom. "I'm okay. After all, I'm hardcore!"

"But I should've known that HIM would go after you! I'm the leader, it's my responsibility..."

Buttercup flew down to join them. "Blossom, everybody makes mistakes. I just make less. Hey, Bubbles, ya got hit pretty hard. Tell you what, I'll convince the Professor t' get you some ice cream."

Bubbles leapt into the air. "Yay! Ice cream! I want chocolate chip!" Bubbles and Buttercup dashed away, leaving Blossom alone in the crater. She sighed.

* * *

Bubbles, panicked, rushed into their bedroom, clutching a newspaper. She waved it all around. "Girls! Girls! Look, we've got to do something!"

Buttercup took the paper. "...It says Fuzzy's cabin was found abandoned, and there were signs of a struggle... you think it could be the Rowdyruff Boys again?"

Bubbles shook her head. "The campers said it didn't look like anybody's been living there for a long time! We gotta investigate! Can we, Blossom?"

Blossom was looking down. "Well, all right... but I don't think we'll find anything. Anyway, wouldn't it be easier if Fuzzy's gone for a while? He's gotten more angry each time we've fought."

"I don't care! He's almost like family!" yelled Bubbles.

Buttercup snorted. "Yeah, the evil, crazy, possessive relative. But I don't want one less person to fight. Let's go!"

The girls flew over the woods for hours, and found no evidence.


	2. There's No Pleasing the Press

_The present day..._

Buttercup and Bubbles sat at their breakfast table, waiting for their pancakes. It was a beautiful day in Townsville, and there hadn't been a giant monster attack in almost a week. Understandably, Buttercup was not in a good mood.

"Girls, do you want syrup or jam?" the Professor called from the kitchen.

Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Jam. Like every time."

"Syrup, please," said Bubbles, sweetly. "Buttercup, you don't seem to be in such a good mood. Aren't you happy about the interview? Didn't you always want to be world-famous?"

"Duh, but one of us isn't even coming. That'll make a good impression," she said sarcastically.

Bubbles frowned. "I know it's sad that Blossom can't come, but she's not in charge of college exams."

Buttercup crossed her arms. "If only she wasn't so much smarter," she muttered under her breath.

After breakfast, Buttercup and Bubbles said goodbye to the Professor, and flew into the city for their meeting with the press at City Hall. There had been a renewed interest in superheroes recently, and now reporters were racing around, trying to get the best scoops on various teams. It had only been a matter of time before the Powerpuffs were showcased. It seemed that the government or military was taking an interest in super-humans, but the Powerpuff Girls didn't know exactly why.

The two girls arced their flight path, and landed on the marble steps, choosing a spot next to the mayor and Ms. Bellum (who, surprisingly enough, had actually had a pay raise in the past year).

Cheers, then excited murmurs came from the assembled crowd at the bottom of the steps. Reporters scrambled to get a look shot of the girls, and many of them asked questions.

The mayor, who had been nodding off, spoke up after Ms. Bellum whispered in his ear. "Uh, everybody settle down!" he yelled. "One at a time! These are very busy girls here, you know!"

One orange-haired woman with a mic stepped forward first. "So, Powerpuff Girls, how old are you, and what grade are you in?"

"We're fifteen," said Buttercup.

"I'm in tenth grade," said Bubbles, "and Buttercup's in ninth. Blossom's really busy right now, and she's in college out-of-town."

Heated discussions started in the crowd.

"Does that mean Buttercup's the dumbest?"

"What set her a grade back?"

"Blossom's the most mature... got it!"

Buttercup grunted and glared at the reporters. "Shut up, or none of you'll be around to report again! Haven't you heard of my special ability, 'death ray'? That's real news!"

Bubbles giggled at her sister's obvious bluff. Nonetheless, the crowd was silenced.

"Um... girls, who would you say is your archenemy? Your nemesis?" asked another reporter.

"We mostly just fight giant monsters and crooks," said Bubbles. "Mojo Jojo was sorta our nemesis, but he disappeared years ago."

Buttercup nodded. "All of our worst enemies are gone. Princess Morbucks's still around, but she gave up on beating us."

The crowd was shocked. Heroines without a nemesis? How could such a thing be possible?

"Why don't you all wears those outfits you used to wear? Why is your hair different?"

Buttercup groaned. Bubbles was embarrassed. "I-I thought the pigtails were a little childish, so I picked a ponytail instead..." Bubbles felt her hair self-consciously.

"You didn't expect us to be kids forever, did ya? I like pants better than skirts and dresses!" Buttercup yelled.

The rest of the day went about the same way. The girls floated home more exhausted than they would have been if they had just fought a monster instead. They were not looking forward to the school day tomorrow.

The Professor let them in. "I saw it all on live TV, girls. Don't feel discouraged. Not everybody can understand the troubles of heroes."

Bubbles hugged him, and Buttercup went upstairs.


	3. Princess of the World

Princess Morbucks was angry, and for once, she didn't know why. After all, she had gone on a Caribbean cruise only a week ago. She tossed and turned in her royal purple bed, and her curly hair was getting bedhead. Every time she was about to fall asleep, she felt her anger rise again. Finally, she fell into a dream-filled slumber.

She walked down the empty halls of Townsville High. Where were all the students? The entire atmosphere felt very grey. She had her own clique. Why weren't they pestering her like always?

Princess walked to the principal's office, and tried to open the door. She figured this had to be a dream, so maybe she could make herself become the head of the highschool? The door to the office was unlocked.

She walked into the office, and saw the chair was turned away from her. Slowly it turned around. She felt chills up her spine. Those sickly green eyes, that goatee... it was HIM.

Princess gaped for a few moments, then regained her composure. "So, ultimate evil, what's brought you out of retirement?" she asked.

HIM smiled. "Now that's a long story. A better question is," his voice dropped, "will this bring you out of yours?" HIM waved his left claw, and a petite yellow dress with a black stripe appeared.

Princess was shocked, but she turned away. "I have a fortune. You telling me I should care about beating up some idiotic teenage girls?"

HIM frowned. "I see I'll have to do more than ask kindly." HIM stood up, and Princess saw that he was not wearing his usual outfit. He had on a black dress with light pink frills on the bottom and on the collar. More strikingly, he had a giant scorpion tail sticking out of his dress.

The office melted away, and Princess found herself flying through the air. She screamed. Clouds rushed by as she fell towards the city.

Before she could be smashed against a building, she felt behind her. She was strapped into a larger version of her old jet-pack. Remembering her days of villainy, she engaged the blasters and flew back up into the air. Suddenly, the setting changed again.

It was sunset, and she saw the red framework of a building. Sitting on it was Blossom, who seemed oblivious to the ex-villain hovering behind her.

Princess didn't do anything, until she heard HIM's feminine voice in her ear. "She's a sitting duck. It's your dream, blast her! See her writhe in agony!"

Princess turned around. "I told you, I don't care about those morons! Just let me sleep already, you red-faced transvestite!"

HIM's disembodied head appeared in the air in front of her. "I see. It's too bad that you don't want to make anything of yourself. I guess you're content to have everything just given to you by your old dad, who'll always see you as a burden. See you in heck, girlie." His head started to melt away in front of Princess.

Princess's eyes widened. "Wait, you idiot! Fine, I'll join your stupid revenge mission or whatever! I'll show you just how strong I am!"

"How delightful! And don't fret about your outfit and weapons, I'm sure I can convince an old friend of ours to make you some new ones, as I sadly can't manifest in the physical world at this time.

"By the way, I'm a hermaphrodite, so I wouldn't say I'm a transvestite. Come to Townsville Park at midnight to await further instructions." With that, HIM's head disappeared, and entire dreamworld rippled and turned to darkness. Princess woke up, with the sun on her face.

She groaned. "I had better not have a pop quiz today... time to bribe the teacher. Again."


	4. Beat-Alls, Minus One?

On the outskirts of Townsville, a long-abandoned "evil" factory sat on a ledge overlooking the ocean. Urban legend had it that it was haunted; years ago, a greedy scientist had been killed by his own mutated creations inside, and sometimes citizens of the city could hear metallic sounds from the factory.

Little did the public know, those sounds were not from ghosts at all, but were instead from robots. Mojo Jojo's robots. Mojo had given up the life of a supervillain nearly a decade ago, when he first saw signs of his great intelligence beginning to degrade.

He had fought the Powerpuff Girls that fateful day, and after throwing the plans he had slaved over into the trash, he noticed he had used the exact same robo design only a week before. And the week before. And the week before. Even worse, not long after, he noticed grey hairs on the sides of his head, and he could swear he saw flashes of the Powerpuffs' light trails in his peripheral vision.

Now, the old chimp almost never entered the city of Townsville. He had prepared specialized robotic servants (and it had taken a lot of his remaining restraint to not design them in his image) to bring him the items essential for his well-being, and although he kept tweaking his handheld energy weapons, he mostly just read, wrote, and built ships in bottles to keep himself busy.

Mojo glanced at his watch: it was nine o' clock, and time for him to fold up his spectacles and go to bed, but he was in "the zone." He had been writing for hours now, putting the finishing touches on the final chapter of his "Memoirs of the Villain," which was sure to be a bestseller, once he thought of a decent fake name to publish it under.

He put pen to paper once again, when suddenly the ink on the page rippled and swirled. It slid off Mojo's desk, and onto the floor, bubbling and shaking.

Mojo smacked his forehead. "I cannot believe that I once again failed to take my anti-psychotic medicine, which prevents such symptoms of insanity from being seen and experienced by me, Mojo Jojo, who occasionally shows signs of psychosis!"

He watched as the ink rose into the air, slowly curling and reforming into a pair of black stiletto heels, then a pair of tall boots. Suddenly, a bright red flash of light. Mojo rubbed his eyes, and saw HIM standing there.

"It's been a long time, Mojo dear," said HIM, "and now it seems you're not all here..."

Mojo blinked. "You look different, that is you do not have the same appearance as you did when I last saw you."

"Keeping the same style forever, no matter how appropriate, is a crime even I wouldn't commit." HIM made a file materialize, and began sharpening his claws. "In any case, I have to say I'm surprised at you. You have such a weak grasp on reality, I didn't even have to wait until you were asleep to talk to you."

"And you would normally have to wait until I was asleep... why?" Mojo was actually not at all uneasy, assuming that this was just a hallucination.

"I can't materialize in the physical world because somebody kept me sealed away for years!" HIM boomed. He calmed down. "And after observing Townsville's situation, I've come to believe it was one of the Powerpuff Girls."

Mojo nodded. "It always ends up being one of them," he said dryly. "I would not expect results if I were you, meaning if I were in your position at this time."

HIM leant down as if on an invisible couch. He clicked his left claw, and the inside of the factory transformed into a sunny day outside Pokey Folks old folks home. On the lawn, an old man Mojo recognized as the retired supervillain, Mastermind, sat twiddling his thumbs.

"Tell me, Mojo," said HIM, "would you rather die pitiful and alone like this ex-villain, or would you like to join me? With a strong enough burst of malicious intent, I can return to my former status, and slow your aging process!" HIM held out a claw to Mojo, which was really more of a symbolic gesture, considering that HIM would probably snap all of the bones in Mojo's hand if he chose to take it.

Mojo just snorted. "You are incorrectly assuming that I am irrationally fearful of growing old, aging, and otherwise becoming a has been. Well, I will correct this incorrect assumption by letting you know that I am not subject to the type of phobias, irrational fear, that humans are subject to, as I am not human, but a chimp whose deoxyribonucleic acid was changed by Chemical X!... but I'll come anyway. I feel like watching buildings explode."

HIM grinned. "Oh, Mojo, I love you when you're ready to destroy."

* * *

_A/N: Hi everyone, I hope your enjoying this story! To the four people following it, it's a real honor! I'd appreciate it a lot if you would leave some reviews. ^_^ Feedback on the plot and stuff would be really helpful! Thanks!_


	5. Brain Damaged

Bubbles and Buttercup still slept in the same bed. The Professor had had the foresight to make it large enough to fit them after they had grown a bit, and since Blossom was no longer living with them, there was plenty of room. It was easier to stay in the same room with the hotline.

They had been tak ing an after-school nap when the hotline beeped. Bubbles rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stretched, and then flew over and picked up.

Bubbles gestured to Buttercup to come over, while listening to the mayor intently. "Yes, mayor?... what? Are you sure? We'll be right there!" She hung up.

"What is it?" asked Buttercup. "Please tell me it's a giant monster."

"You won't believe it! The mayor says Mojo Jojo is attacking the city!" Bubbles yelled. "I wonder where he's been all this time?"

Buttercup grinned. "I can't wait to 'get reacquainted' with our old friend. Let's see what he thinks of us now!" Buttercup blasted off, followed swiftly by her sister.

They flew over half the city, when they spotted Mojo's robo jojo. It was shooting giant green energy blasts, which melted straight through the surrounding buildings, and disintegrated them, reducing them to tiny piles of rubble.

Buttercup and Bubbles flew in front of the giant robot. "Long time no see, Mojo! What were you doing for so long, huh?" yelled Buttercup.

"Plotting my revenge, of course!" Mojo yelled through a microphone. He pressed several buttons on his control panel, and the robot stopped moving. Suddenly, hundreds of tiny holes opened on its chest.

Bubbles's eyes widened. "Buttercup, bail!" she yelled, and dashed behind the robot.

Buttercup flew upwards too late. Mojo's robot glowed bright as the sun, and shot a gigantic green beam of plasma. Buttercup was blasted into a skyscraper.

Bubbles screamed Buttercup's name and then snarled. She shot at the robot and bashed it with her arm. The mecha lurched and Mojo fell out of his chair.

Bubbles was ready to blast him with her eyebeams, or to let out her patented Sonic Scream, or to use her Thunder Clap... but she hesitated when Mojo didn't get up again.

"Um, Mojo, uh..." she said, "get up and fight like you used to!" she imitated what she thought Buttercup would say.

"That's right, Mojo! Get back up! Bubbles is the most fun to fight, isn't she?" said Mojo, in an oddly tinny voice. "You should know that I do not enjoy fighting Bubbles, because I do not like her mood swings, how she alternates between 'sugary-sweet' to angry and crazy, as if she experiencing post-menstrual sy— " he said in his normal tone, before Bubbles cut him off.

"Mojo, are you okay? You're talking to yourself," said Bubbles, with actual concern for her old nemesis.

Mojo climbed back into his chair. "Of course I am all right!" he yelled. "Eat this!" The mecha punched at Bubbles, but before it hit her, she screamed, the sound waves holding it in place. The other arm swung down to chop her, but Buttercup, who had recovered from the energy beam, stopped it and jammed the mechanism. She spun around the robot, tying it in knots.

Mojo shot a missile through the "mouth" of the mecha. Buttercup and Bubbles blasted it with their eyebeams, sending shrapnel every which way. The two girls hit the robot again and again, their blue and green streams of light swirling like a pinwheel.

Mojo grinned inside the robot. "Now now, Mojo," he said to himself, in the high voice once more, "you don't have to keep fighting. You don't want them leaving you incapacitated for too long, do you?

"Of course I do not want that! I do not wish to be incapacitated in any capacity!" Mojo yelled in his normal voice.

Buttercup looked at Mojo confusedly. "What's with you? Are you schizo now, too?"

"You disgusting Powerpuff Girls made me crazy!" Mojo yelled, thrashing around inside the control room. "Stop, you crazy chimp! Do you want to get yourself killed? Follow the plan!" he roared at himself.

Bubbles and Buttercup looked at each other with worry and pity, respectively. They bashed through the robot. They tied up Mojo with his cape and flew him back to his volcano-top laboratory.


	6. The Opposite of Awesome

Blossom still followed Townsville's newsfeed. In a way, she felt it was her duty to do so. Not only for the sake of her family and friends back home, but also because of Townsville's singular situation.

The city had always been a cesspool of mutants and superhumans, nearly all of them villainous. With Blossom's genius-level intelligence, and her firsthand knowledge of such creatures (herself being one), she was well ahead of even the most diligent of her researcher colleagues: those who made up the thinktank behind the military's Superhuman Containment Organization.

Blossom had been halfheartedly studying cytoplasmic inheritance (which even the teachers knew she understood inside and out already) when she encountered the story. _Mojo Jojo Returns, Madder than Ever (in More Ways than One)! _read the headline, in that particular chintzy Townsville style. Blossom scattered her notes all over her desk and gasped when she saw it, but she knew what she had to do.

After asking for an extension (shocking her teacher), she called Professor Utonium. She told the Professor that she'd be visiting Townsville to interview him for a paper. When he asked her why she couldn't just do that over the phone, she made some lame excuse about how long it had been since she saw her sisters.

Blossom flew to her old house in Townsville using a government-commissioned wristwatch navigation system specifically for flying superhumans who needed to travel large distances. Although Blossom's family still was not aware of her assistance to the military, she assumed they'd be understanding. After all, it was only like crime-fighting on a large scale.

When she reached her house, she didn't even have to knock on the door. The Professor opened it as soon as she landed on the doorstep.

"Blossom! There's so much I want to talk to you about your studies." He led her inside. "Bubbles! Buttercup! Your sister's here!" he called.

Bubbles floated to the door, an unreadable expression on her face. "Hi, Blossom. How's it going?" She dragged her feet on the floor.

Blossom smiled uncomfortably. "Uh, great, Bubbles. My standard grades are high, and I'm contributing to government research."

Bubbles looked down. "Great."

Blossom was just about to ask where Buttercup was, when Blossom noticed her on the stairs, staring at down at her.

Buttercup was scowling. "Hey college girl. Having fun?" she asked coldly. "Of course you are. I just know you're leaving everyone else behind."

Bubbles looked up at Buttercup with a pleading expression, then sighed. Blossom wanted to disappear.

Fortunately, the Professor was too happy to pick up on the tense atmosphere. "Girls, let's eat! I prepared something extra special, Blossom— homemade cherry pie!" He grabbed her arm and led her to the dining table.

Bubbles and Buttercup moved their chairs away from Blossom, and sat opposite her. Professor Utonium suddenly realized he had left the pie in the oven too long and rushed into the kitchen, leaving Blossom with her sisters.

Bubbles stared down at her empty plate. Eventually, she spoke. "Um... so, what are you doing with the government, Blossom?"

"Oh, uh, since I'm a super-being, I'm supplementing their research with my own. Studying with the Professor gave me firsthand experience."

"You always were so close to him..." Bubbles muttered.

Buttercup scowled. "Handing over our best-kept secrets, are you?"

Blossom winced. She held the back of her head. "O-of course not. I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly what I've contributed, because— "

Buttercup slammed the table. "Because you think you're so much better than we are? That's it, isn't it? Let me tell you, we've been doing fine on our own!" she yelled.

Just then, the Professor came back. "Have you girls caught up yet? Here's your pie, if a little crispier than I would've hoped. I can't wait to hear about your research, Blossom!"

Buttercup looked away, and Bubbles frowned. Blossom groaned. It was going to be a long day.


	7. I Wanted to Make a Better Day

Bubbles opened her eyes. A bad dream. She moaned quietly and looked at the time. 3 AM. She was wondering what could have woken her up when Buttercup shook her.

"Bubbles, look," she whispered, and pointed to their three windows.

Bubbles squinted, and saw a pink streak outside. She gasped and leapt out of bed. She looked to where Blossom had been sleeping on the floor and saw that she was gone.

Buttercup was already putting on her clothes. "C'mon, Bubbles, we've got to see where she's sneaking off to! Glad I had that stupid nightmare..."

Bubbles didn't have time to question why they both had a nightmare at the same time. She hastily put on her "crime-fighting uniform." Buttercup opened a window, and they blasted into the cool night air. Bubbles held her arm over her eyes. She pointed to the horizon.

"There, Buttercup," she said. "I think she's going to the park."

Buttercup raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would she want to go there?"

Bubbles gave Buttercup a pointed look for using foul language, but didn't say anything. After all, the last time one of the girls had sneaked out of the house late at night, it had been Buttercup going to meet the Gangrene Gang, which eventually put all three girls in danger.

Buttercup and Bubbles flew faster, following the small pink trail as Blossom soared over Townsville park. She flew higher and higher, and then she stopped. She hovered right outside the windows of Mojo's observatory. She peered through the windows, checking for something.

"I don't know what she's up to, but I don't like it!" yelled Buttercup. She blasted through the air, and clapped her hands together. A crackling green energy bolt shot out of her hands, and it electrified the air right over Blossom's head. She spun around, horrified. Buttercup stopped flying and glared at her.

Bubbles caught up to Buttercup. "Buttercup! You could've hurt her!"

"It wasn't full force. She's a Powerpuff Girl, it's not like it woulda mattered anyway," said Buttercup. "What are you doing in the middle of the night? I know you don't lie, so just tell us now!" she called to Blossom angrily.

When Blossom didn't answer, Bubbles flew down to her. Blossom quickly hid an object behind her back in response.

"We're just worried, Blossom! We're not trying to accuse you of anything," said Bubbles.

"We're not?" asked Buttercup.

"We're not!" yelled Bubbles.

Blossom still didn't respond. She was quivering a little, and it looked like she was ready to flee any second.

Realization dawned on Buttercup. "Wait. I know your secret, Blossom!" she pointed threateningly at her sister.

Blossom covered her mouth. "W-what? No! It's not what you think! It's not—"

"You're his lover, aren't you?"

"No!... wait, what? How could you even think that? He's evil! And, you know, a chimpanzee."

"Well, you're both smartasses, and ya never know who has the crazy fetishes."

"Remember when Buttercup went to see Ace?" Bubbles piped up unhelpfully, earning a glare from Buttercup. "Um, Blossom, what's that behind your back?"

Blossom paled. "Uh... it's... a secret! A government secret!"

"Show us," said Buttercup. She slowly floated behind Blossom. Blossom darted away and flew after her. They both grew increasingly agitated as they flew laps around the observatory as if they were playing a demented game of tag.

"Bubbles!" yelled Buttercup. "Get her!"

Bubbles was ambivalent, but she flew after Blossom. She and Buttercup chased Blossom and dashed around her. The three super-powered girls spun around each other faster and faster. Buttercup grabbed a hold of Blossom's long hair. Blossom shoved her away, but Bubbles blasted forward and pinned her against the metal of the observatory roof.

Buttercup landed on the roof. "Show us, Blossom! We're your sisters! If anybody deserves to see it, it's us!"

Blossom's eyes were shut hard and mouth quivered. Buttercup scowled and wrenched the object from her hands. It was a small gun, similar to a laser gun. Buttercup inspected it; with her super vision, she saw otherwise invisible letters.

"It says 'ANTI-X' on it," she said.

"Wait," said Bubbles. "That couldn't mean... Antidote X?"

Blossom sighed, tears in her eyes. "You're right, Bubbles. It's true."

"Then why were you going here—you wanted to turn Mojo back into an ordinary monkey!" Buttercup yelled. "Why?"

Bubbles gasped. "Blossom, why would you want to do that? He's almost like our evil brother!"

"Yeah, don't you remember that whole 'we need good and evil' thing with that stupid gnome?" said Buttercup.

"I just wanted to keep everybody safe!" Blossom grew angry. "I'm the leader, it's my responsibility! Don't you know how many people Mojo Jojo's hurt? He's almost killed you several times! I couldn't keep risking your lives!"

Bubbles and Buttercup's expressions softened. "Blossom, we're heroes. We're used to getting hurt once in a while," said Bubbles.

"Yeah, and our archenemies all disappeared, right? Just having Mojo back isn't gonna effect our job!" said Buttercup.

"Uh... thanks for being understanding, girls." Blossom forced herself to smile. "Let's go home." She flew into the air and prepared to rush back home.

"Wait!" yelled Bubbles. She grabbed Blossom's arm. "Blossom," she said slowly, "would you know anything about the other villains?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Buttercup suddenly realized what Bubbles was getting at. "Yeah, Blossom, why did our other enemies just vanish like that? I don't think they all just got up one day and quit."

Beads of sweat dripped down Blossom's forehead. "I-I-I-" she stuttered just like her father used to. Finally, she cracked. "I admit it! I did it!" she screamed. She closed her eyes. Guilty. "I took them out one-by-one. I handed them to the military... to the SCO."

"SCO? What's that?" asked Buttercup.

"The Superhuman Containment Organization. They... study... superbeings and mutants."

"Oh, Blossom, how could you? What they d-do to animals is awful enough, what th-they must do to..." Bubbles tried not to cry.

Buttercup yelled in frustration. She shot forward with a green light trailing behind her, and smashed Blossom into the observatory roof once more. "How dare you! They'll be ready to turn on us at any moment now! Take you fucking gun and get out of Townsville." Buttercup threw the gun beside her and flew away, tears in her eyes as well. Bubbles looked at Blossom sadly, then followed Buttercup.

Blossom shut her eyes. She hadn't felt this way since the time her leadership skills had left her, and put her whole family on the line. She reached for her Antidote X pistol to dispose of it, but felt nothing there. She quickly sat up. In front of her stood a teenage girls in a yellow Powerpuff-like uniform, with a golden tiara on her head, and a jetpack on her back, Princess Morbucks.

"Hey there, Pinkie. I thought those weepy morons would never leave. Lights out!" A blinding of orange light hit Blossom. Then she was left in darkness.


	8. Painting the Townsville Red

Buttercup and Bubbles awoke to the sound of the Professor. "Girls, rise and sh— where's Blossom?"

The three of them looked to her place, which was still empty.

"Oh my goodness," said Bubbles. "What if Mojo captured her?"

Buttercup looked disgusted. "Or what if she really is his lover..."

The Professor was completely baffled. "What? What are you two talking about? What happened last night?" He started panicking.

"W-well, we thought it was all resolved! Blossom worked with the government to capture all the villains and make them test subjects for the... SCO," said Bubbles worriedly.

"Yeah, which she shoulda known not to do!" yelled Buttercup. "She snuck out to Mojo's last night and was gonna use an Antidote X raygun on him or something to make him turn into a regular monkey."

The Professor crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you didn't think this was important? I'd never have wanted to see Blossom involved with something as barbaric as the SCO, and I need to know what—" Loud beeping from the hotline interrupted him.

Buttercup dashed over and picked up. "Yes, Mayor?"

The Mayor's response was so loud it hurt Buttercup's ears, and even Bubbles and Utonium could hear it. "Buttercup!" he yelled. "Come quick, you don't want to miss this! It's raining cherry cola!"

"Er... what?"

The speaker changed to a nervous Ms. Bellum. "Actually, girls, it's worse than that. There is a dark red fog hanging over the whole city, and it's not raining cherry cola, mayor... it's blood!"

Buttercup told her they'd be right there, and set the phone down. "Blossom'll have to wait. There's a blood rain, so this'll be an awesome fight!' She blasted through a window, and Bubbles soon followed her, leaving a very confused Professor behind.

The girls saw the fog as they raced into the city. It had enveloped the buildings, curled around them. When the girls penetrated the fog's boundary around the city, they felt an unnatural chill go up their spines. They could taste the iron as drops of blood fell from the sky.

"Look up!" yelled Buttercup. In the sky above their heads, the fog formed a giant vortex. The girls paused, and watched in shock as two large, pitch-black objects, each with two points descended from the eye of the storm. Boots floated down, legs, pink frills, vermillion scorpion tail... eventually, there stood a gigantic HIM.

Bubbles's breath caught for a moment, but she tried to remain brave. Buttercup just scowled.

"Hello, girls," said HIM, with his twistedly feminine, echoing voice. "I know 'painting the town red' is an old cliché, but I thought it was very appropriate." He sneered. "Especially now that I have your sister's blood on my claws!" he boomed.

Bubbles and Buttercup gasped, then their eyes narrowed. "Y-you freak!" yelled Bubbles. "Whatever you did to Blossom, we'll do a thousand-times worse to you!

"Glad to see you too, Bubbles," said HIM. "I don't doubt that you'll try and hurt me, mere flies you may be, but you won't get a chance!" HIM jabbed his new tail into the office building behind him. He flung glass and metal over his head, sending it flying into the crowds of terrified citizens.

"Oh no you don't!" Buttercup flew in fast circles, creating a whirling green tornado. It sucked in the shrapnel and let it drop to the ground below. But when Buttercup stopped spinning, she had scratches all over her body.

HIM opened his left claw, a glowing hot plasma ball forming inside. He was about to throw it at the girls when Bubbles grabbed the now injured Buttercup and rushed behind HIM.

HIM turned towards them, when Bubbles let out a Sonic Scream right in his ears. He yelled and buckled downward, giving the girls an opening.

Buttercup smacked her hand together, sending forth a crackling green blast—full force. It stuck HIM on the cheek, burning him.

HIM stayed down for only a split second. He jerked his head around, eyes burning with green fire, his teeth looking oddly sharp as he yelled, "You brats smudged my blush! Prepare to die!" Searing scarlet lasers hot from his eyes, stunning the two girls and knocking them back into a skyscraper.

HIM cackled and stood up. He spat corrosive acid on the nearest structure, a gas station. It blew up in a fiery blast, sending more people racing through the streets like rats screaming in terror.

He skipped happily through the town, crushing whatever lay below, until he stopped at a tall apartment building. He grinned at the people still inside, and then kicked the side of the building, dragging his stiletto heel across the wall, tearing pieces of it away.

The girls, now caked in blood, recuperated. They flew back up, Buttercup ready to charge him full force, but Bubbles held her back.

"Wait! We need a plan first. I'll distract him and save anybody he tries to hurt. You take him down, okay?"

"Right," said Buttercup. The girls blasted off.

HIM pulled his right arm back to grab people out from the apartment and crush them, but Bubbles flew in front of his claw. With her super-strength, she held it back.

"This is for Blossom!" she yelled. She fired her eyebeams at his face, which he blocked with his free claw.

"Silly girl, I've beaten bad hair days worse than—agh!" HIM's words were cut off as a chartreuse streak smacked him in the eye.

Buttercup hooked downward and shot HIM with her own eyebeams, singeing his goatee. Bubbles shot towards him, and her flight path met her sister's. They bashed HIM's nose, stunning him.

HIM swiped the girls with his stinger, flinging them away.

Buttercup was enraged. "This isn't working!" she screeched. "Bubbles, time for the Burial Bash!"

Bubbles nodded. The two of them landed right next to HIM's heels, and began pounding into the ground as if they were jackhammers. HIM giggled, he leapt up, but Bubbles used her Sonic Scream to sweep his leg out. HIM gasped and fell. Buttercup and Bubbles swirled around each other, making a bright aquamarine tornado, sucking the demon into the city's underground.

The girls floated above the pit, waiting, waiting... and then they both breathed sighs of relief. They high-fived, and got ready to find their sister.

The flew towards the park, until a giant red claw smashed through the ground, snapping around Buttercup. She screamed. She was slowly being crushed.

"Buttercup!" Bubbles flew down to save her, but HIM's second claw smashed through the blacktop as well. It trapped her.

Bubbles and Buttercup struggled. HIM's laughter echoed through the city, and the ground shook. The rest of his body broke out, and he began leveling the city with his laser eyes. The city was being razed, and there was nothing the Powerpuff Girls could do to stop it.

HIM was so pleased by his victory over the girls, he didn't even hear the faint rumbling in the distance...


	9. A Good Day to DYNAMO

Blossom was in too much pain to even open her eyes, but she was fully conscious. She could tell that she was strapped to a metal table, and she could hear everything going on around her, even though she felt nearly as horrible as when her Chemical X was drained.

"I don't want to wait! I want to make her pay now!" yelled Princess, hurting Blossom's ears.

"HIM said we will get to torture her plenty once he destroys the city, although I have my doubts about the efficacy of this plan, as all of my plans which I planned against the Powerpuff Girls to incapacitate, destroy, and otherwise make them feel bad ended in failure," said Mojo.

"Well, that's 'cause your plans were stupid!" said Princess. "And yeah, I know HIM wants her alive, but can't I at least cut off her hair or something?" Blossom heard Princess approach her.

"As if your plans were any better! Tricking Santa Claus? Really? How was that going to destroy them?"

Princess growled. "It wasn't supposed to destroy them! It was just to make a point!"

Mojo sighed. "Never mind. I do have this experimental plasma-knife on hand, however, it would cause normal hair to simply catch on fire. Due to the fact that the Powerpuffs appear to be fireproof, it could cause her hair to simply melt," said Mojo. Blossom heard a deep humming sound now, that she assumed came from the device.

"All the better!" yelled Princess.

Before Blossom's hair could become history, the three of them heard a sound like a jet engine. A giant crash shook the entire observatory.

Mojo screamed like a little girl, and Princess gasped. Blossom opened one eye, and she gaped. A huge, bright yellow, angry-looking robotic eye was peering through one of the windows. It was DYNAMO.

"Let my baby go, or I'll tear this laboratory to pieces!" came a screeching voice from the robot's loudspeaker.

Blossom grinned through the pain. It was Professor Utonium.

Princess and Mojo ducked as giant titanium-plated arms ripped the observatory roof in half. DYNAMO stood up, and glared down at them.

Princess got back up. "You don't scare me!" she yelled, flying up in the air. Her black gloves pulsed with yellow plasma. She clapped her hands together, firing a blaster ray at DYNAMO, hitting her right between the "eyes."

DYNAMO held her ground, and then her eyes glowed vermillion. It sounded like the buzzing of ten-thousand bees.

"Do not stay standing! Lower yourself to the floor. Get Down!" Mojo tackled Princess to the floor, narrowly avoiding getting fired by DYNAMO's searing eyebeams. The villains felt the heat in the air, as the metal structure of the observatory began to melt.

"Give me Blossom!" yelled the Professor. "If you hand her over now, I'll only have you sent to jail instead of squashing you the way I mash the bananas I use to make banana bread!"

The Professor didn't wait for a response. DYNAMO's pigtails spun faster and faster, slicing into the wall, incing closer and closer to Mojo Jojo and Princess. They started shaking in terror.

"All right, all right! I remember when she tore my volcano in half!" yelled Mojo eventually. He ran to Blossom and pressed a button on the metal table, releasing her straps.

DYNAMO set an arm on the floor, and one of the titanium plates popped open, letting Blossom climb on top. DYNAMO lifted her into the air. The cockpit opened, and Blossom jumped into the Professor's arms.

The cockpit closed, and the Professor cried tears of joy. "Honey, I'm so glad you're all right. I heard what happened last night from your sisters, but we can talk about that later.

"I saw the news! HIM's returned, and Buttercup and Bubbles just can't fight him on their own. I know they didn't give you such a warm reception, but they need you."

Blossom was shocked, then saddened. She gulped. "P-Professor... I lost my powers. I think they used my ANTI-X pistol against me. I can't help my sisters."

The Professor smiled, and pulled out a small vial with a black liquid inside. "I wouldn't worry if I were you," he said. "I figured something like that could have happened."

Blossom quickly gulped the Chemical X down, and instantly she felt her strength return, the power surging through her body. "Thank you so much! But, I need a plan... I know we can't use DYNAMO again, I remember how it destroyed the city. I mean, the second time, we even had to resort to—I know what do to now! Thanks again!" Blossom leapt out of the Professor's arms. Utonium was surprised, but opened the cockpit. Blossom shot through the steam the robot let out, her pink light trail shining like a shooting star, brighter than ever before.


	10. Over the Blue Sky

Blossom reached the edge of the blood fog. She could hear HIM's evil giggling echoing from the city's center, even from such a distance. She was about to rush in and help her sisters, but she stopped herself. "All right, Blossom. I need a plan. Let's see, taking into consideration HIM's flamboyant nature..." She rose above the red clouds and then landed on the the highest one.

Blossom spun around and dashed around the cloud, compressing it into a giant ball. She took a deep breath, and exhaled hard. Her pale- blue Ice Breath froze the cloud into a giant sphere of ice. She held it up, then let it go and flew up into the air and then shot down, smashing the ball into hundreds of little icy knives with a flying kick as it fell.

Sure enough, HIM became hysterical. "My fog! My dress! Who dares to hurt my lovelies?"

"I dare, HIM!" yelled Blossom. "I'm the one you really want, aren't I? The one who sealed you away?"

HIM snarled. He spat acid at her, but Blossom dodged it. "You'll have to drop my sisters if you want a chance at me!" She flew over another cloud, and out of HIM's sight.

The clouds became bathed in a hot pink glow and then melted away, ending the bloody rain. Blossom now had a clear view of HIM, who grinned up at her, eyes glowing bright green. "I think you're wrong," he said in his feminine tone. He spat blazing pink acid at Blossom, but she quickly breathed in. She exhaled a blast of fire, and it met the flying acid. The ensuing blinding explosion caused HIM to scream and his claws opened involuntarily. Blossom saw a green and a blue light trail flying into the air towards her, and she smiled.

Blossom got ready to attack HIM while he held his face form the pain, when Buttercup and and Bubbles hooked each of Blossom's arms and swiftly led her behind a wrecked convenience store.

The girls spent an awkward moment looking at each other expectantly. Buttercup broke the silence. "I swear we have no problem calling the shots. He's just too damn overpowered."

Blossom smiled sadly. "I know, girls, I know. I-I've made a lot of mistakes... I always knew that we had to work as a team, but I guess I never realized my duty wasn't to try and handle everything on my own until now. I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

Bubbles smiled as well. "Don't worry, Blossom. We forgive you." Bubbles hugged Blossom. Buttercup rolled her eyes and just put her arm on Blossom's shoulder.

The girls heard HIM yelling in his deeper, chilling voice. "Come out, come out, little girls... so I can murder you!"

The girls winced. "Okay, maybe it's a little early to start celebrating," said Bubbles.

"Would you two mind if I suggest a plan? Like old times?" asked Blossom.

Buttercup shrugged. "Whatever. If it'll let me pound the demon quicker."

"Okay, the plan is this..." Blossom and her sisters huddled, and Blossom whispered to them. They blasted into the sky.

HIM reached out to clamp the girls, but they dodged. Buttercup grabbed Bubbles from behind, aiming her according to Blossom's instructions.

Bubbles let out her Sonic Scream once more, and HIM was pushed back into another unfortunate office building. Blossom out held out one hand, and Bubbles and Buttercup did the same.

"Razzle Dazzle!" they simultaneously yelled. "Razzle! Dazzle!" They began to spin and spin and spin, creating a sound like a raging whirlwind. Bright sparks of their signature colors formed, floating down like thousands of falling flower petals.

As they merged into one electrified white spinning disk, they flew towards HIM. He stared at them like they were crazy, and reached out and clamped the girls in his claw. It was a big mistake. For HIM. He screeched as the shock raced through his body. The multicolored sparkles fell around him like a cage, and he was lifted high above the city. The girls then sent him into the ground. Crash! Again. Crash! And again and again. Each time, HIM shrank, until he was left in his usual form. He moaned against the broken blacktop.

The girls spun out of formation, and crashed onto the road as well. Their eyes rolled around. When they were no longer dizzy, they looked to each other. They paused, and finally burst out laughing. Then they passed out.

* * *

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the defeat of HIM at the fingerless hands of the newly-reunited Powerpuff Girls! Three cheers for the girls!" said Mayor to the crowd. It erupted into applause and cheering.

"Now," said the mayor, "we begin our newest of many restoration efforts. This is even better than my last plan to boost the city's economy! And that plan involved pickle-flavored bacon, so that's saying a lot."

Ms. Bellum whispered something in the mayor's ear, and the Powerpuff Girls laughed. Soon, they flew home for a nice dinner prepared by the Professor (featuring liver and onions, for old times sake).

"Blossom, there is a lot I have to lecture you about, including the horrors of our government," said the Professor, gravely. He lightened up. "But that can wait till later. For now, will you be staying for the reconstruction of our city?"

"Well..." Blossom looked at her sisters, you were looking at her with eager expressions. "...I guess I can take an incomplete. I mean, who cares about my test on the basics of extranuclear DNA study anyway?"

All four of them laughed.

And so, the day was saved once more, thanks to the Powerpuff Girls. Teamwork is a great thing, ain't it?

THE END

_A/N: Or is it the end? Stay tuned for a short epilogue featuring the villains of this story! Also, let me know if you'd want me to write some short vignettes taking place in this universe, perhaps showcasing a crazy chick with crazy hair, an easily-enraged pink guy, teens who need some better personal hygiene, three spineless would-be mafiosi, and an infamous bad boy band..._


	11. Epilogue

Even after so many bad experiences, the Townsville police force still hadn't learned that it wasn't the best idea to keep multiple super-villains in the same cell. After HIM's attempt to destroy the city failed, the cops had put him, Princess, and Mojo Jojo together, perhaps with the expectation that they'd all get out soon anyway. They had taken a "brilliant" safety precaution with HIM, though; they made sure there was a circle of salt on the floor around him.

HIM picked at his ruined dress. "So, Princess, when is your 'daddy' going to bail you out of here?"

"Aw, shaddap!" yelled Princess. "I'm more independent than you think. I make my own bed, you know!"

"Oh my, I'm so impressed," said HIM sarcastically. Princess glared at him. HIM ignored her and stretched out on the floor. "Now to free the other villains and reduce Townsville to ruins, we will—"

"Don't care," said Princess.

HIM was very offended. "If you bail them out, it will prove you—"

"Still don't care." Princess turned away.

"Stop interrupting the ultimate evil unless you want to die a slow and painful death, you foolish girl!" HIM boomed. "I'll remember your insolence after my powers are recovered and I have my full beauty treatment."

Princess responded with a bored yawn. HIM frowned and turned to Mojo instead. Mojo was sitting on the hard, standard prison cell bunk with his legs up, and had his eyes closed. "Oh, well," said HIM. "So there will only be two to break them out of the government testing facility.

"With my demonic magic, and your technological prowess, Mojo darling, we'll be unstoppable." HIM grinned and his eyes glowed menacingly.

Mojo snorted and opened his eyes a bit. "I am too old to participate in schemes that will inevitably end in my body being mutilated, broken, and beaten to a pulp by mutant infa—teenage girls. Furthermore, what have we to even gain from destroying this city? It will just be rebuilt again! I will never sink to your level of pointless nihilism, HIM."

"Maybe so." HIM stood up and held his arms behind his back. "But you do realize that if you do what I say, you'll be able to reunite with our children?"

Princess and Mojo were both shocked, although for different reasons. "Wait, wait," said Princess. "You two have kids together? That's disgusting!"

Mojo rolled his eyes. "Yes, the Rowdyruff Boys are technically our sons. In any case, those unprincipled brats all but disowned me! Why should I care about their well being?"

"I doubt you mean that, considering how affection-starved you are." HIM's eyes glowed brighter as he leered. "Once I recover, I'll be happy to show you just how much they're suffering. Let me just say, I would be ecstatic if it were the girls in their predicament."

Mojo jumped off the bench. "I am not affection-starved! I am perfectly self-sufficient! I am independent, and I need only to depend on my own intellect and resources and no one else! If the whole world were against me, I would be fine, and turn against it as well!" he yelled.

"Eh, I'm gonna have to side with the drag queen on this one," said Princess. "I mean, think of why the Beat-Alls broke up. And I think it's pretty clear to everyone that you have some serious daddy issues."

Mojo pointed to Princess, enraged. "You are saying that I have daddy issues? What about you, always waiting for your father to give you things? You would not even be a true villain if not for his money."

"I don't need his stupid money! I'm not a five-year-old anymore! Why won't anybody realize that!"

HIM giggled as Mojo and Princess argued. Eventually, though, he cleared his throat and decided to stop them. "Now, now, children," he said, "we should all stop fighting. After all, all of our wishes are compatible. I want to cause chaos and terror, Princess, you want to be more independent from your father, and Mojo, you want to be remembered and left in peace, isn't that right?

"It is the government who's keeping the others captive, you know. Princess, with your history and his riches, King Morbucks would be a fool not to have connections to the government's Superhuman Containment Organization. And Mojo, once we release all of the other villains, they'll all be grateful to you, and they'll commit felonies for you! You won't have to do a thing!

"So, what you you two say?"

Princess thought it over. "All right, I'll do it. I guess I wouldn't mind seeing Sedusa and Fuzzy again."

Mojo sighed. "Fine, for the continued existence of evil in the world, I will do it. But if those accursed Powerpuff Girls decide to show up and intrude, I will not hesitate to blast a hole through your head, which has far too many cosmetics applied to it," he said with much force behind his words.

HIM smiled (evilly, of course). "This is going to be terribly beautiful!" he said in his chilling, deep tone.


End file.
